Did You Know?

The literal meaning of Italian banca was “bench,” but the word was also used for the benchlike counter at which an early money changer transacted business, and later to describe the money changer’s shop itself—the bank. When the banking trade spread from Italy to France, and then to England, the Italian word went with it and became our English bank.

Origin and Etymology of bank

Middle English, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse bakki bank; akin to Old English benc bench — more at bench

First Known Use: 13th century

2

bank

verb

Definition of bank

transitive verb

1a: to raise a bank aboutb: to cover (as a fire) with fresh fuel and adjust the draft of air so as to keep in an inactive statec: to build (a curve) with the roadbed or track inclined laterally upward from the inside edge

2: to heap or pile in a bank

3a: to drive (a ball in billiards) into a cushionb: to bounce (a ball or shot) off a surface (as a backboard) into or toward a goal <bank in a rebound>

4: to form or group in a tier

intransitive verb

1: to rise in or form a bank —often used with up<clouds would bank up about midday, and showers fall — William Beebe>

2a: to incline an airplane laterallyb(1): to incline laterally (2): to follow a curve or incline <skiers banking around the turn>

1590

First Known Use of bank

1590

3

bank

noun

Definition of bank

1a: an establishment for the custody, loan, exchange, or issue of money, for the extension of credit, and for facilitating the transmission of fundsbobsolete: the table, counter, or place of business of a money changer

3: a supply of something held in reserve: asa: the fund of supplies (as money, chips, or pieces) held by the banker or dealer for use in a gameb: a fund of pieces belonging to a game (as dominoes) from which the players draw

4: a place where something is held available <memory banks>; especially: a depot for the collection and storage of a biological product <a blood bank>

Origin and Etymology of bank

Middle English, from Middle French or Old Italian; Middle French banque, from Old Italian banca, literally, bench, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English benc

bank

Definition of bank for Students

Medical Dictionary

bank

Medical Definition of bank

: a place where something is held available <data bank>; especially: a depot for the collection and storage of a biological product of human origin for medical use <a sperm bank><an eye bank>—see blood bank

Law Dictionary

bank

Legal Definition of bank

1: an organization for the custody, loan, or exchange of money, for the extension of credit, and for facilitating the transmission of funds branch bank: a banking facility that is a separate but dependent part of a chartered bank; especially: a facility that performs some banking functions and is separate from a main officebridge bank: a national bank that is chartered for a limited time to operate an insolvent bank until it is soldcentral bank: a national bank that establishes monetary and fiscal policy and controls the money supply and interest ratecollecting bank: a bank other than the payor bank that is handling for collection a negotiable instrument or a promise or order to pay moneycommercial bank: a bank organized chiefly to handle the everyday financial transactions of businesses (as through deposit accounts and commercial loans)cooperative bank: an association (as a credit union) owned by and offering banking services for its members; specifically:savings and loan associationdepositary bank: the first bank to take a negotiable instrument or promise or order to pay money unless the instrument, promise, or order is presented for immediate payment over the counterfederal land bank: a land bank that is under federal charter and regulated by the Farm Credit AdministrationFederal Reserve bank: one of 12 central banks set up under the Federal Reserve Act to hold reserves for and extend credit to affiliated banks in their respective districtsintermediary bank: a bank other than the depositary or payor bank to which a negotiable instrument or promise or order to pay is transferred in the course of collectionland bank1: a bank that provides financing for land development and farm mortgages especially by issuing stock — see also federal land bank in this entry 2: a trust that holds land for purposes of preservation or conservationnational bank: a bank operating under federal charter and supervisionnonbank bank: a financial organization (as a branch of an out-of-state bank) that either accepts demand deposits or makes commercial loanspayor bank: a bank that is the drawee of a draftpresenting bank: a bank other than a payor bank that presents a negotiable instrument or promise or order to pay moneysavings bank: a bank organized to hold depositors' funds in interest-bearing accounts and to make long-term investments (as in home mortgage loans)state bank: a bank operating under state charter and law